


Last Women Standing

by whiteberryx



Series: amidst it all [3]
Category: The Fall (TV 2013)
Genre: F/F, Post-Finale, mention of Dani/Stella, mention of Stella/Gail, oh god this is a series
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-27
Updated: 2017-08-27
Packaged: 2018-12-20 08:00:28
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,752
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11916612
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whiteberryx/pseuds/whiteberryx
Summary: Now that the investigation was over and Stella was gone, all that was left to do was wrap things up.Takes place immediately after the finale.





	Last Women Standing

**Author's Note:**

> A sequel of sorts to Wisdom Comes To Those Who Seek the Land Behind the Sun and Substitute.
> 
> This has nothing to do with the fact I have a ginormous thing for Bronagh Taggart. No way.
> 
> As always, a big thanks to [dexstarr](http://archiveofourown.org/users/dexstarr/) ♥

Dani thought that it was fitting, in a way, that they were the last two in the office. She and Gail sealed up the last of the evidence boxes, signing the tape to make it official, before loading them onto a rolling cart waiting by the lifts. The files were ready to be transported to the PSNI basement archives, where they would collect dust until it was time for the inquest. The sun was setting, streetlamps starting to flicker to life below them, but Dani didn’t want to go home. She wasn’t ready to be alone with her thoughts, and from the carefully deliberate expression on Gail’s face, she thought that maybe the other woman didn’t want to go either.

“Go for a drink?” Dani asked when they got back to the bullpen area. 

Gail was quiet for a moment, checking the drawer of her desk before shutting it for the last time. “Sure.” 

Dani nodded and tucked in her chair before putting her jacket on. “There’s a place pretty close. It’ll be quiet.”

Gail nodded, and they went down the lift and out the doors silently. Gail was half a step behind Dani, her mind still clearly elsewhere. Dani felt like she should say something, but she couldn’t come up with anything that wasn’t absolutely trite in her head.

The pub was quiet, making good on Dani’s word to Gail. The bar itself was almost empty, and they sat at the end. Dani ordered her rum and coke, while Gail opted for a gin and tonic.

Dani couldn’t stand the quiet any more. “Hell of a day,” she murmured, stirring her drink before taking a long pull. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Gail mirroring her.

There wasn’t a lot to say. Stella had left in the morning, with tired eyes and a vulnerability that Dani didn’t even think Stella had. There was no closure, no justice, and Stella obviously suffered the most.

Gail nodded in agreement. She copied Dani, taking a long sip, then her mouth opened as if she was about to say something. Dani was surprised nothing came out. Efficient and articulate, when Gail had something to say, people listened.

What came out of Gail’s mouth surprised Dani, but it looked like it surprised the speaker herself. “Fuck it,” she said. “Let’s get pissed.”

Dani nodded, smiling wryly as she clinked their glasses together. “I’m with you.”

\--

After their first drink, Gail ordered a double, and another after that. Dani followed suit, and before long, Gail had to really concentrate on her thoughts to make sure she didn’t say anything stupid. Her mind was so heavy with the case, with Stella, but neither topic was suitable for tonight. Neither of them ate, however, and Gail slipped up before she knew it.

“I slept with her,” Gail blurted out, unable to contain herself anymore.

Dani, who’d been tapping out a message on her mobile, dropped her phone on the bartop. “Who? I didn’t even know you were interested in women.”

Gail shrugged, feeling heat rising to her cheeks. She wasn’t sure what had possessed her to even mention it in the first place, but it had become such a weight in the back of her mind it seemed easier to let it out, and deal with the consequences later. “I’m not,” she said reflexively. “Stella found me in the pub one night.”

Dani faltered, mouth opening and closing with no words to come out. Gail wasn’t sure if she surprised Dani, but then her epiphany of weeks ago came crashing to the forefront. “Did you … oh, fuck. It was her, wasn’t it?”

Dani nodded. 

“How many times?” Gail was tipsy, unable to squash any question that came to mind. 

Quiet for a moment, Gail wasn’t sure if she had pushed too far or if Dani was really considering the question. They’d been friends for a long time, but they’d never discussed their sexual exploits, whether drunk or sober. It was much easier to talk about things like work, football and whether or not buying another pair of black ankle boots was a good idea. “Dunno how many, really. More than few, though,” Dani finally said.

Gail met Dani’s eyes, but said nothing more. She wasn’t sure if it was a good idea to keep drinking, so when her glass was empty, Gail took her wallet out and left a few notes under her glass. Dani copied her, then the two of them left the bar, by unspoken agreement. 

Gail stood against the wall to the side of the doors, unable to will herself to move. The cool evening air shook most of the alcohol-induced stupor out of her head, but there was still enough fog lingering for things to be pleasant. Food didn’t sound like a great idea, but Gail wasn’t ready to be alone with her thoughts just yet.

Dani turned, as if she was about to walk away, but Gail grabbed at her by the sleeve. “She fucked me when she couldn’t have you.” Of course she had to open her mouth again.

“What do you mean?” Dani looked at Gail, confused and tipsy.

“I knew,” Gail said flatly. “Well, I figured it out after. She wanted you. But you were gone, off on patrol or whatever you were doing when you left.” Now that she know Stella was fucking Dani throughout the investigation, about a dozen things seemed a lot clearer.

Dani tried to move away, but Gail held onto her, now by the front of her coat. “How?” Dani asked, the question sounding like more of a challenge than anything.

Gail shrugged. “I had a feeling.” 

“That’s not an answer.” Dani’s voice was flat, almost bitter, and Gail hadn’t even known Dani was capable of such sourness.

“I just knew!” Gail’s voice rose half an octave, suddenly tired of trying to justify what she knew and how she knew it to Dani. She pulled Dani closer to her, trying to make her point physically, since she wasn’t accomplishing it with her words. Dani’s hands came up reflexively on either side of Gail, the two of them now only inches apart.

Both of them made a move, and it ended with them kissing. It was rough, sloppy, the two of them both too drunk and burnt out to have anything remotely resembling finesse. When they broke apart, though, any confusion from Dani’s face was replaced by something Gail couldn’t quite recognize. 

“I’m not far.” Another challenge, or an invitation, Gail didn’t know, but she followed Dani around the corner and down the block. 

-

They stumbled into Dani’s flat, Dani shutting the door using Gail’s body, their lips fused together. All Dani wanted to do was to have Gail, Gail’s hair loose and long -- she’d only ever seen it down once -- Gail under her, around her, everywhere. She tugged it out of its knot gently, combing through it with her fingers, until Gail pulled away from her and looked up.

It wasn’t nervousness Dani saw, but it was enough to make her doubt. “Are you sure?” Dani asked. 

Gail was panting, lips pink and parted. In the dim light, Dani saw her nod. “Yeah,” she said a beat later, and that was all Dani needed. Reaching behind Gail to lock the door, Dani tugged her down the hall to her bedroom, trying to shed her clothes along the way.

Dani made quick work of Gail’s sweater, tank top and pants, while Gail’s fingers were slower, stumbling through their paces. Dani helped Gail as they tumbled down, until they were left in only their underwear and bras.

Gail reached for Dani and Dani came down easily, mouth claiming Gail’s once more. She slid downwards once she tired, dotting marks across the porcelain skin underneath her lips. She didn’t care about leaving marks, and based on the whimpers coming from Gail, Dani thought she didn’t mind either.

Dani easily rid Gail of her bra, and her mouth went even lower. This was familiar territory now; it didn’t matter to Dani who was underneath her. Sliding her mouth over one nipple until Gail moaned, arching up underneath her, Dani took her time teasing the other woman. Dani briefly wondered if Stella wasn’t the first woman that Gail had slept with, but she knew she had to push all her thoughts away and focus solely on Gail.

Gail gasped as Dani bit down, her hands reaching around Dani’s back to grab on. Dani felt the clasp of her own bra give, and soon satin was being pulled away, off her skin. Gail tried to reciprocate, touch Dani where Dani was touching her, maybe, but Dani stopped her. Making a shushing sound, Dani pushed herself back up to claim Gail’s mouth fiercely. “Let me,” Dani murmured, leaving with a nip to Gail’s lower lip.

Gail’s hips bucked against Dani; Dani was surprised at her neediness, and laughed. “Fuck me,” Gail moaned, the need obvious in her voice. Immediately, Dani redoubled her efforts, kissing down Gail’s stomach, flat but not muscular, before nipping at the skin just above the waistband of her underwear.

Gail groaned again, encouraging Dani into action. Pushing herself up and away, she pulled the pale blue lace off of Gail, flinging the scrap of material off the side of the bed, before sliding one hand up her thigh. Gail was soaked, needy for Dani’s touch, and a flare of pride swelled up in Dani before she put it to the side.

Dani couldn’t have made Gail wait any longer if she tried. Sliding two fingers along Gail’s slit, Dani collected enough wetness so that she could slide in easily, starting a slow pace that had Gail fisting the linens. Even in the dim glow of the street lamp outside, Dani saw Gail’s gaze lose focus, lips parting as she started to fuck her.

Dani found her rhythm easily, pushing deeper every time she heard another breathy moan. All Dani wanted was to have Gail come apart, to give her something more than the alcohol to help her sleep tonight. She hadn’t ever thought of Gail like this, naked and writhing under her, but now that she knew what Gail was like with her armor cast away, vulnerable and needy like anyone else, Dani wondered if she’d get more than one chance to see it.

Dani added a third finger, and she was immediately rewarded. “Fuck, Dani, fuck,” Gail whined, hips bucking up against Dani. Dani was surprised that the other woman was this open; Gail rarely swore, but it appeared that she saved most of her curses for bed. 

Dani twisted her hand around so she could flick at Gail’s clit at the same time, knowing what could push Gail over the edge. In moments, Gail came, arching up with a long moan against Dani before slumping back against the linens. With her eyes shut and her hair fanned out under her, Dani took a long moment to memorize the sight, just in case she’d never see this again. 

Gail opened her eyes and pushed herself up, interrupting Dani’s cataloguing. Their lips met again, disintegrating every thought and leaving Dani aware of only her arousal.

-

Gail was still drunk on endorphins and gin, but now that Dani made her feel something, it was only right to return the favor. Dani was receptive to her kiss, drawing her closer, and soon their positions were reversed, with Gail’s fingers now hooked into the waistband of Dani’s underwear. Dani grabbed at her wrist, stopping her. 

“What’s wrong?” Her voice came out low, as if they were trying not to draw attention to themselves. With her hands frozen on the waistband of Dani’s underwear, she had to wait for the other woman to let her go.

“You don’t have to,” Dani said, even though it sounded like she was almost physically pained by saying so. 

“What if I want to?”

Dani paused, and Gail continued on. She might never have this chance again. “You’ll have to tell me what you want,” she said, leaning in to suck and nip at Dani’s neck as she slid her underwear away. The more she kept busy, the fewer reservations she had to think about.

Despite her surety, Gail was still clumsy; she fumbled as she pushed herself up, catching herself on her hands and Dani’s bare thigh. She was sensitive still -- when she felt Dani’s thigh tense under her, she ground down instinctively as her mouth and hands started to explore Dani’s bare torso. She didn’t get a chance to explore Stella like this, and she couldn’t pass up the opportunity now.

Dani shot up again, Gail’s slow pace seemingly re-awakening her. “Are you sure?” she asked, taking Gail’s face in her hands. She was so considerate, it almost made Gail falter again.

In lieu of an answer, Gail leaned forward and kissed her deeply, hands holding onto Dani’s jaw to keep herself upright. When they parted, Dani flopped back down against the sheets and Gail resumed her exploration. This was all new, but yet in some ways, extremely familiar. The lines of Dani’s abdomen, not quite a six-pack, the shudder when Gail scraped her teeth across Dani’s nipple; Gail wanted it all, now, but she knew it would be impossible to have all at once. She settled for moving back up, kissing each freckle dotting Dani’s shoulders.

Dani moaned and tilted her head, giving Gail room to keep going. She did, down one collarbone and up the front of her neck, lips lingering in the hollow before coming up to kiss Dani again.

Tentatively, Gail wedged her hand between their bodies, again unsure. Dani groaned, legs spreading just a little wider to encourage Gail, and that was all she needed to stretch her fingertips out that extra inch. Dani hissed, and Gail grazed her again, savoring the sound.

“Yeah, right there,” Dani ground out, “keep going.” 

Gail circled, slowly at first, faster when she heard the hitch in Dani’s breath. Emboldened by Dani’s reactions, Gail slid her fingers down, then back up. “Harder. More,” Dani said, each word punctuated by a groan or a sigh. 

Feeling a little more confident now, Gail slid one finger inside, just like she would if she was getting off on her own. It did the trick for Dani, her body clenching down as she grabbed for Gail. On autopilot now, Gail kept going, thrusting gently as she rubbed, until Dani shuddered, hissing out one drawn-out curse before sprawling out.

Gail slowly removed her hand, in awe. Her head was spinning with about a dozen thoughts before Dani opened her eyes and gave Gail a lopsided grin. “Fuck, you’ve been holding out on me, McNally.” She laughed, the sound seemingly foreign after the long investigation.

Gail shrugged and looked away; suddenly, the weight of just how confusing everything would be in the morning seemed unbearable. Dani sat up and used her fingers to guide their faces closer together; the two of them shared the same breath for a brief moment before Dani kissed her slowly, coaxing out a response until Gail had her arms around Dani’s neck and her forehead touching hers.

“Feels like you’re not quite done, yet.” Sitting up, Dani pushed Gail to the other side of the bed, crawling on top of her to descend south. 

\--

They both had the rest of the week off before they return to duty; grateful didn’t even cover half of how Dani felt about that. Her head throbbed as the sunlight poured in through the window. Rolling over so she didn’t face the sun, she was greeted by Gail, still dozing peacefully, covered by the sheet.

“Fuck,” Dani muttered. They’d fucked for hours, Gail rising to match Dani any way she could, but now in the daylight, there were too many questions to deal with. Why did they have to sleep together? It’d been nice to have someone to sleep with, especially after the hellish investigation, but now Dani was a terrible mix of hungover and confused.

Gail stirred, seemingly awakened by Dani’s thoughts alone. She opened her eyes and saw Dani. A moment, then Dani could see the weight of last night hit Gail. “Fuck,” she said, unknowingly echoing Dani. “Dani, I…”

Dani rubbed her eyes, trying to make sense of the morning. She couldn’t. “It was nothing.”

Gail was quiet for a moment; Dani didn’t know if she was hurt or grateful for her write-off. “Yeah.”


End file.
